When you say 'We' you mean the Players.
Players can do whatever they want, but, most players will just look at how the npcs are acting (same way as in vanilla, 16 years ago) and assume that nothing's changed. And in a sector with hundreds of billions of population, what difference does 5000 player characters make? Especially when the actions of the players do not affect the world as a whole.
Quote:Player modded Guard systems have, and will continue to have, no affect on the overall activities and motions of the server
In a sense, you are right. But the player modded Guard systems are also the only way we have any control over the events in disco, right? ;)
Should the Corsairs be able to acquire Biodomes, their politics should change. Becoming recognized as a real house in Sirius has been the Corsairs' dream. Unlike the Outcasts, who are allied with many criminal organizations in Sirius, the Corsairs are not, and as a result have a very good chance at gaining credibility.
I agree with Unselie that we need to integrate the Guard systems into the sector RP more, but I don't think that we should get rid of them. They do serve a purpose.
However, all the houses, with the exception of Rheinland and Bretonia, already have a "guard" system, and in my opinion, do not need another one.
I'm completely speaking in earnest here, since Virginia was purchased under my command, but I do not think that Liberty, Kusari, the Outcasts, or the Corsairs need a guard system.
Liberty has Alaska and Zone-21
Kusari has Hokkaido(Off limits except for the trusted of the shogun)
Outcasts and Corsairs have their home systems
Why do I think that these factions do not need a guard system?
A) They control these systems.
B) These systems are very important and as a result, are extremely well defended.
I cannot imagine why Kusari/Outcasts/Corsairs would possess a "fortress" system that is better defended than their home.
Quote:[7:42:05 PM][6:51:36 PM] Igor (Smokey): btw terry
[6:51:48 PM] Terrance Cooper: Ye?
[6:52:00 PM] Igor (Smokey): nothin
[6:52:03 PM] Igor (Smokey): just sayin btw
[6:52:05 PM] Terrance Cooper: <_<
Quote:Johnny_Haas: you shot anti criuse speed rockets!!!
Johnny_Haas: but why????
Johnny_Haas: ??
Johnny_Haas: why you shoot criuse speed rockets?
I know one good reason for the guard systems. I'm not commenting on the RP value here, but they're important in allowing faction members to get all of their equipment without wandering around the sector in a very OORP manner. Another thing, when we start training in front of active areas, we always get people going "LOL teh SA are shooting each other" etc.
........Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;..........But when the blast of war blows in our ears,.....
........Or close the wall up with our English dead...........................Then imitate the action of the tiger;.................
........In peace there's nothing so becomes a man........................Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,.........
........As modest stillness and humility:........................................Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage!....
Dasher
"Another popup faction. Great. What's wrong with my popup blocker?" - Denelo
"Oh come on, slow and steady doesn't win any races, fast and steady does."
' Wrote:That being said, how long are they gonna work on those trade lanes in Taus 31 and 23? War or no war, it's been what? 14 years? They should really be done by now...
Can't do. At least to the Trade Lane in Tau-31. That trade lane is part of the mission you fly from Bretonia to Chugoku in the storyline. It would screw it all up to have that one changed. Tau-23 one could possibly be done though.
Anyway, I think Guard systems should also be included in trade routes. Either be gateways or buy/sell locations. I wanted to make a military vehicles run to Omicron-74, because Corinth Research Station takes weaponry and improves it for Zoner use. I also wanted to add a few misc. items to Livadia that have to do with ship construction, but nothing to make a trade route. Right now, guard systems are not allowed trade routes, good or bad. If it makes money, its not allowed. I think we should change this. Guard systems only act as pure defense and RP that you make from modding it, I think it should involve more people than the owners and their main enemies.. Guard systems should be included in some of the best routes. Again, either a gateway or buy/sell location. This way, you must be a high rep to gain access and be able to participate in these routes. There would be many and all equally profitable in response to the danger presence (omicron routes getting more, as you have Outcasts and Corsairs involved). Because we have nothing that invites individual and random players into guard systems, they are relatively empty at most times and quite boring to be in one.
' Wrote:Can't do. At least to the Trade Lane in Tau-31. That trade lane is part of the mission you fly from Bretonia to Chugoku in the storyline. It would screw it all up to have that one changed. Tau-23 one could possibly be done though.
Uh, its nearly impossible to play the SP campaign with disco on...so why are we still claiming that we need to preserve the Single Player Campaign?
Trade in the guard systems is something that is dearly needed...wherever there are people, an economy exists, unless, of course, they are each isolated bubble kingdoms.
' Wrote:Uh, its nearly impossible to play the SP campaign with disco on...so why are we still claiming that we need to preserve the Single Player Campaign?
I've beaten it at 1.00 difficulty. Its a great combat trainer, especially in learning to fight with capships shooting you, which you need training of here on Disco. Also, it can be played normally at .25 or .45 difficulty.
' Wrote:Trade in the guard systems is something that is dearly needed...wherever there are people, an economy exists, unless, of course, they are each isolated bubble kingdoms.
Exactly. I've always held the belief that traders make the life of Sirius. For example; Little traders in Bretonia, little for Pirates to do other than attack military. Since no traders are endangered, military has little to do, so they don't get on much. Since they don't get on much, pirates have no one to attack. Traders or military. They either don't get on much either, or try to find some place else to go (like going to Liberty, and I cannot fault them much for that, Bretonia isn't a very good place to keep a faction running).
A lot of you remember Bretonia when the Cambridge-Theta run was really good. Massive amounts of traders, massive amounts of pirates, massive amounts of SF. All of Bretonia was VERY active. Since SF was active, KNF was also active, and Kusari pirates then were also active. Liberty is Liberty, which is always active because of NY. During SF's peak activity, Rheinland was pretty empty, RM had nothing to do. Now its flipped. Rheinland is active, as is Kusari (And KNF is coming back.. Isn't that right Tigon?:P). Bretonia is kind of dead at the moment, gotta hand it to QCO and UOG to trying to keep it going.
History has shown us, traders make the life of places, and hence, route-less guard systems are dreadfully dull at moment, even if they are some of the best unique systems we have (modders spend time on unique things such as Corsica, Livadia/Corinth Mine Field, Omi-100).
' Wrote:When you say 'We' you mean the Players.
Players can do whatever they want, but, most players will just look at how the npcs are acting (same way as in vanilla, 16 years ago) and assume that nothing's changed. And in a sector with hundreds of billions of population, what difference does 5000 player characters make? Especially when the actions of the players do not affect the world as a whole.
Um, Hundreds of Billions? I don;t know where you got that from, but Manhatten is the Most po-pulated planet in Sirius and It has 440 million people. Doesn't quite add up to HUndreds of Billions.
Remember, the colony ships came with probably just a million or two in total. Those things are not that big, and it has take our planet to reach a population of 5 billion in 3000 years (guesstimation since the time when civilizations really started picking up).
On to the main point. One of the reasons I have never really enojyed guard systems is the fact that they are in the middle of nowhere. How would a small faction like the Bundsuch (sorry bad spelling), which is made up of angry college students and political activists have the reasources and influence to keep an ENTIRE system away from the Rheinland Military? NOt to mention, why is the RM's main base in some far away system. Why don;t they have their main battleship station on New Berlin, the CAPTIOL of the Nation. I don;t see guard systems as something that we really need, cause they don't fit the RP of anything at all if you look at it.
Corsairs - the only thing holding them back is their food supply (they kill/sterilise their own population during initition in the radiation clouds so they dont all starve)
Zoners - find Gran Canaria - an apparently fertile planet
Zoners - are scared of the Mollies/Bretonian military more than the Corsairs
Now, some people have said "ohh uber Zoner juggernaut keeps Corsairs away" but really. If they are scared of the mollies.. they don't have *that* strong a military. Also, the Zoners now trust the Corsairs enough to invite them in...
Zoners - SELL the jumphole locations to Corsairs. In other words, the Corsairs PAY to protect the Zoners. And in return.. they get an extra entry point into Bretonia. Wow.
---
Zoner: Hey Corsairs!! We found some new systems! We're settling on this arable planet! Want to give us protection from those dastardly mollies! Pay us and we'll tell you how to get there!
Corsair: Wow, arable planet. Sounds good. One day we'll find one of those ourselves. Sure, we'll look after you!
---
This seems a little strange doesn't it. I would suggest the Zoners give the Corsairs the jumphole without charge, because it is in Omega-5, the main jumping off point for about half the active Corsairs... they let the Corsairs settle on Gran Canaria..
but that still doesn't explain why the Corsairs let the Zoners have Canaria..
my suggestion is.. planet Togo! The Zoners offer.. to help the Corsairs terraform Planet Togo using terraforming gases and alien organisms, melt all the surface ice, turn it into an ocean planet, and harvest food from it as the Kusari do from their ocean planets.
Plus a more interesting return trip for artifact smugglers, terraforming gases/construction machinery... gives the UoG people to pirate.. Corsairs incentive to protect that traderoute...
---
Zoner: Hey Corsairs.. um. We found this planet we're settling.. it's sort of close to your systems, so you'll probably find it eventually... if you let us keep it and provide us with protection we'll show you all the jumpholes and help you terraform this other planet to give you your own food production. In the meantime, you can use this new system as another way into Bretonia.. and food prices will decrease because we're producing more...
Order: *nudge nudge*
Corsair: Bah. Fine.
---
Really though, either way the reality is the Zoners/Corsairs aren't going to have a war. If it did happen, FP9 would probably be destroyed in a surprise attack, Gran Canaria would descend into civil war... and whose side would the Order take? It's simply waay to messy.
trading items in guard systems is ok - but not the best or better routes. guard systems are directly under the control of the playerfaction that purchased them. they can deny entry for like no reason if they feel like it. a player faction should not be able to allow or cut the best routes from the common player. - thats too much power for a faction. - additionally, guard systems are not economicly important - not as much as "home" systems. i would think that crete is more important to the corsairs in both, social views and economical views, than any guard system - unless they buy a fully populated planet in their guard system, too. .. as a new home.
guard systems should however buy and sell common goods at common prices - goods that make sense. anyway - when we agree to move battleships to guard stations - they will serve the purpose of selling the most exclusive gear to players anyway allready.
and yes - guard systems and whats in there must have an effect on the politics of a faction. what will happen when the corsairs reach their greatest ambition - to feed all their people? - will they turn into a spanish, semi lawful house over time? or will they become even more powerhungry now that they have one thing less to worry about.